Rattus Norvegicus

...better known as the common or garden Brown Rat.

I went down to the plot today to deposit a load of kitchen waste and shredded paper in the compost bin, and got the shock of my life when I took the lid off the bin and was confronted by a large brown rattus norvegicus sitting on top of the rotting vegetables!

I had seen evidence of rats near the bin before - holes being dug right next to the bin - but had only ever seen a rat at a distance on the allotments. It was my fault I suppose - he (or more probably they) were most likely attracted by the rotting pumpkins and squash I had put into the bin recently.

Once my pulse rate had dropped back to normal I decided to relocate the bin to the other end of the plot, away from the shed. Obviously (short of laying down poison) I doubt I will be able to deter rats from hiding in my compost if they want to, but I would rather that they were as far away from my shed as possible! However, moving the bin even just half a plot length (25m) was easier said than done. Kicking it over evicted Mr Rattie, who headed off into the undergrowth like greased lightning. I then re-sited the empty bin and started to transfer the compost by shovelling it into my large tub trug, carefully digging it over to check there were no baby ratties in residence (although Lord alone knows what I would have done if I had come across any).

On a positive note, the bottom two thirds of the bin contained pretty good looking compost - very heavy to move by the trug-load but evidence that the bin works. Now this has been well mixed in with the semi-rotten stuff during transfer, it should all rot down nicely in a couple of months.

Not a job I was expecting to do today, but I think that the bin is now in a better position - and there's plenty of space for a second (and maybe third) bin at that end of the plot, which I might add later this year.